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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27353263">Dans le Noir</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ARPrexy/pseuds/ARPrexy'>ARPrexy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blind Date, F/M, Ministry of Magic Employee Hermione Granger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:07:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,746</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27353263</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ARPrexy/pseuds/ARPrexy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione finds herself forced to attend the opening night of Diagon Alley's newest establishment, one which only the single members of the Wizarding population are invited to.</p><p>‐ - - - - - - - - </p><p>“So you’re telling me that <i>Finnegan</i> is going to kick me and Harry-freakin’-Potter out of the most intriguing event of the last year because we’re not single?!” Ginny snapped.</p><p>A loud screech echoed around the room as Ginny scraped her chair back and stood suddenly, storming out of the kitchen and taking her beer with her to the floo in the parlour across the hall.</p><p>Hermione turned her gaze to Harry and raised her eyebrows, “have fun with that later.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Brownies & Boxes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first ever multi-chapter fic, so I welcome all comments (and criticisms!)</p><p>Huge thanks to HeyJude19, who read this and gave me guidance when it was a hot mess and Xaephyr, who is just generally awesome and willing to put up with my whinging for longer than either of us would care to think about. </p><p>Find me on tumblr under <a href="https://hogwartstrolleydolly.tumblr.com/"> Hogwarts Trolley Dolly</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, shit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione huffed and slumped into a chair in the corner of the sitting room, papers scattered across the floor and her wand discarded on the coffee table. It was nearly 11am and she was still dressed in her pyjama bottoms, a Weasley jumper that Ron had left at Grimmauld Place some years ago and mismatched pygmy puff slippers, one of which she can only assume belongs to Ginny. All in all, it was fair to say that her outfit matched her scattered mind this morning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit, shit, shit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Impatiently, she scraped an untidy curl out of her face and cast a wary eye around the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was meant to be clearing the house of the slightly insane-looking state that it was currently in, but she’d gotten herself distracted by finishing off some work and had spent the next 3 hours creating more, not less, clutter. Unfortunately, she’d had to eventually concede that she couldn’t procrastinate from the room around her any longer and found she was back where she started, if not a little further behind because now she was frustrated, tired and wanted desperately not to have to move her organised chaos.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione was meant to be packing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Meant</span>
  </em>
  <span> being the operative word as that certainly wasn’t what she’d spent the weekend doing and Harry and Ginny we’re due back this afternoon - in a matter of hours, she realised with an uncomfortable flip in her stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stood and wandered over to the large bookcase at the far wall, sighing as she toyed with the spine of a particularly worn copy of Wuthering Heights. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Come on, Hermione. You can do this. It’s just moving out, not leaving them forever. They’re not going anywhere.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taking a moment to refocus, Hermione cleared her throat and resolutely told herself to stop faffing about. She’d intended to get up early in the morning and finish packing her essentials before moving to her new flat. The flat was somewhat of a surprise engagement gift of privacy for ‘The Potters’, as they would soon become now that Harry had popped the question to an excitable (and not at all surprised) Ginny Weasley.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione had been living at Grimmauld Place since the end of the war 6 years ago. With her parents deciding to stay in Australia and Ron’s determination not to return to his bedroom at The Burrow, it had been the ideal solution for them to return to the old Black house with Harry. She also silently suspected that Harry was grateful he hadn’t had to return alone whilst Ginny went back to finish school.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aurors had been in high demand and, much to Hermione’s chagrin, Harry and Ron had taken Kingsley up on his offer to begin Auror training without finishing their NEWTs. Harry had often come home none-too-subtly suggesting that she join them in the DMLE but Hermione decided that she had done enough Dark Wizard chasing to last her a lifetime. Maybe two.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione had considered returning to school with Ginny but ultimately she hadn’t been able to face Hogwarts so soon, especially without the boys by her side. It wasn’t as though she didn’t have other friends, it was simply too strange to leave them after trekking around England together in a tent for the better part of a year. Staying together felt like the safest way to be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At first, very little had changed between them all. Hermione would spend her days over-studying in preparation for finishing her NEWTs remotely and her evenings would be spent helping the boys with the more academic elements of Auror training. Weekends were filled with entertaining friends or various Weasleys at Grimmauld Place, which meant that there was rarely a Friday or Saturday night that the bedrooms were not filled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It seemed to Hermione that no one really wanted to be left alone with their thoughts during that first year and Harry’s home had become the unofficial refuge for those that had been children of war, not that he seemed to mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Over time, they’d settled in and transformed the house into somewhere fitting for the Golden Trio. The reception room on the first floor had become something of a refined version of the Gryffindor common room with warm tones, comfy armchairs and a roaring fire. They’d made it their home and she was incredibly grateful for the years they’d spent together finding their feet into adulthood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After completing her NEWTs, Hermione had eagerly accepted a research position within the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, though if she was entirely honest, she wasn’t finding it to be as fulfilling as she’d hoped it would be. It appeared that Ron was having his own doubts, as it transpired that following Harry into his Auror career wasn’t exactly what he’d envisioned either. Truth be told, Hermione had never quite thought that it was the right choice for him, but following Harry had become second nature to them both by that point and it was a hard habit to break.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>During the evenings that Harry and Ginny spent otherwise occupied, she and Ron would drink away their work frustrations, wondering how it came to be that they could complain about something as mundane as being stuck in a promising job that left them unfulfilled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few years after leaving Hogwarts, Ginny finally moved in - officially at least, she’d been sleeping at Grimmauld Place 4 or 5 nights out of the week since she had been home, sneaking back through the Burrow’s floo most mornings so as to avoid her mother’s lectures. Ron had taken this as an opportunity to move in with George, taking the spare room in the flat above Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few months of trying to resist tinkering with George’s newest inventions, Ron had decided to leave the Ministry and instead focus on the shop with his brother. Which, Hermione had to admit, had been the best decision that Ron had ever made. She couldn’t deny the confidence he gained from doing something just for him and the occasional green eyed monster that had followed him around all his life appeared to have finally left for good. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Remaining in Grimmauld Place meant that Ginny and Hermione had only become closer in the last few years. They spent most mornings chatting over coffee which would often be reduced to throwing biscuits at Ginny until she was covered in crumbs and too busy laughing to talk about her and Harry’s sexual exploits. She had no doubt that Harry would be mortified if he knew exactly how much Ginny shared over her breakfast. Hermione relished the change from her relationships with the boys, even if she occasionally had to result in flinging baked goods in Ginny’s face to avoid mental scarring.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite this, Hermione had realised that she was now the guest in their house. Grimmauld Place was Harry’s and he planned to transform it once again to become their family home. She’d overheard Harry and Ginny talking over dinner and wine about their plans for the future and she had no intention of making it awkward for them to ask her whether she would be looking for her own place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny had already started making subtle changes around the house and the piles of books that Hermione had been unable to resist, despite no longer having space in any of the bookcases, were clearly not a part of that vision. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sheepishly looking around at what could only be described as an overly cluttered space, Hermione chewed her lip and silently thanked Ron for convincing her that she should get a 2 bed flat despite moving on her own. She’d already bought floor to ceiling bookcases to go in the spare room in addition to the shelves that were built beside the chimney stack in the lounge. It might be just enough space to house them all… for now, at least.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of the front door shutting downstairs snapped Hermione out of the daze she must’ve been standing in, the colour draining from her face as she panicked that Harry and Ginny had come back early.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron’s bellow came from the hall downstairs and she sighed with relief, swiftly followed by no small amount of shame as she remembered that Ron had agreed to arrive late morning to help her move her packed boxes. The boxes that were currently sat stacked in the corner and undeniably empty.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Up here! Ron, I’ll... I’ll be out in a second, one minute!” Hermione yelled as her hand whipped to her pocket only to find that her wand wasn’t there. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a frantic scan of the room, she spotted her wand on the coffee table and began climbing over the back of the sofa to grab it as Ron walked into the room carrying muggle take-away coffees and gave an undignified snort. “You’re not ready at all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could hear the smugness in his voice as she over-reached and rather ungracefully stumbled into the coffee table with an “oomph”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I know, I know. I got carried away and didn’t see the time,” she groaned and looked back to him as she stood with her wand in hand, flicking it absently to return the cushions she’d dislodged back to their positions on the sofa.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione, have you even started packing?” Ron sighed as he looked about the room, eyes lingering on the all too familiar pile of work covering the coffee table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron, I can do it in 5 minutes. Not everyone has to spend an entire day reminiscing over everything they’ve ever owned,” Hermione gave him a meaningful look, no further words needed to remind him exactly how long it’d taken him to finally move all of his belongings out. She was pretty sure that there was still a box containing some of his Hogwarts quidditch robes upstairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione tried to appear unphased as she charmed her books to pack themselves in the quickest way possible, not organised at all in the way she would have wanted, but there was no way she’d be telling Ron that as he stood there looking far too pleased to find her unprepared.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, keep your hair on. I can very easily bugger off to enjoy my Sunday morning in peace…” Ron’s voice trailed off and he wafted the coffee towards her as he walked across the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His voice lilted, “and I can take this flat white from the fancy coffee shop with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned, catching the whiff of perfectly roasted coffee and eyeing the takeaway cups. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The place with the salted caramel brownies?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grinned, shifted both cups into one hand and pulled out a slightly crumpled paper bag from his coat with the other. “You mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>these</span>
  </em>
  <span> salted caramel brownies?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron, you are an angel and I do not deserve you,” the words tumbling out of her mouth in quick succession, eyes tracking the paper bag.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron pushed a coffee and the bag of brownies into her hand and pulled out his wand to help her pack, “I probably still owe you from all the times you’ve saved my arse over the years. But I swear, with these brownies... I’m catching up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>--------------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A couple of hours, several more cups of coffee and a sugar rush later, they were sitting on the floor in the lounge of Hermione’s new flat, surrounded by boxes whilst Ron laughed and looked through the nearest one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d forgotten that Harry had this framed!” he gushed, pulling out the framed textbook page on Basilisks, her small writing at the bottom of the page clearly visible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione grinned and took the page, “too weird to display, do you think?” she asked, using the sleeve of her jumper to wipe away his fingerprint on the glass.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah. You know that George turned one of its teeth into a shot glass, right?” he replied, absently peering back into the nearest box.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her jaw dropped and she put the frame on the mantle, turning to look at Ron incredulously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, George turned it into a shot glass? Where’d he get one in the first place?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron shifted uncomfortably and coughed. “Well, I’d kept one that I found in my jacket, y’know, as a keepsake, and George thought it’d be cool…. Which it is! It’s sort of become the unofficial shot glass of lost bets.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes, dropping back to the floor with her legs crossed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only a Weasley would take a highly dangerous item like a basilisk fang and turn it into a sodding shot glass.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They continued this way, slowly unpacking her life from boxes and laughing at memories. Hermione found herself thinking that in these moments it was easy to see why she and Ron had considered that they would work well together. They were completely at ease around each other and she wouldn’t be shy to admit that he’d really come into his own in his 20s - no longer lanky and awkward, he’d filled out and had an air of easy confidence. According to Witch Weekly, he was considered quite the bachelor. But in the end it had just never felt quite right for them, no great romance and no great loss either, it seemed they missed the window of opportunity and neither of them were particularly torn up about it. They’d agreed long ago that they would be each other’s plus one whenever the need arose but they wouldn’t try to force a relationship and ruin the friendship, they’d been through too much together to allow it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione’s thoughts were immediately brought crashing back as she caught Ron pouring the remaining brownie crumbs from the bag into his mouth, getting tiny bits of chocolate caught in his 2 day old stubble. Sighing and rolling her eyes, Hermione sent another empty box zooming into the corner, flattening itself as it went.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I think it’s time for a drink, don’t you? I’m not letting you anywhere near the books so discounting those boxes, we’re almost done!” Hermione waved her wand gracefully and the majority of the remaining boxes piled themselves neatly in the corner by the bookcase, she then stood and sent several more flying into her bedroom down the hall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This left just a few boxes piled on the breakfast table that divided her kitchen and lounge. She tore into one and pulled out a bottle of Ogden’s, gently shaking the bottle at Ron so that the liquid sloshed inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got in your favourite as a thank you for helping me today,” said Hermione, pleased she’d remembered to pick it up when she’d popped out to grab dinner yesterday.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron wiped his mouth on his sleeve and bounded over to her like an overgrown labrador, planting a rushed and chocolatey kiss on her head as he tried to wrench the bottle from her grasp. Not one to be beaten, Hermione stretched herself over the counter and held the bottle out of his reach, which was exceptionally difficult given that he had a good 6 inches on her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione had grabbed a tea towel and was still trying to beat him back when the fireplace flashed green and Ginny stepped into the lounge with her hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised in a perfect vision of Molly Weasley. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just what do you two think you’re doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione and Ron froze, his overly large frame pushing her up against the counter and the bottle held high over her head. They caught each other’s gaze and simultaneously seemed to realise their inappropriate proximity. Hermione coughed and Ron instantly jumped away with his hands up and ears pink as Harry followed through the floo into the lounge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few beats of awkward silence, Hermione started first, “Gin, it’s really not what it looks like-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione was hogging the booze!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron was cut off as Ginny broke into a fit of laughter, holding onto Harry’s shoulder to remain upright as he cleared his glasses of soot and peered at them both in confusion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should-... you should’ve seen your faces!” Ginny gasped, still laughing as she hung off her fiancé. Ron groaned loudly to Hermione’s left before giving his sister a firm shove.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry rolled his eyes, knowing better than to get between Weasleys and stepped forward, embracing Hermione before pulling back to catch her eye, his careful gaze searching hers as he started, “so…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“-so, I see you got my note with my new address,” she interrupted and grinned at him, “happy belated engagement!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry’s eyebrows pulled together in a small frown, lowering his voice so that only she could hear him, “you know that you didn’t have to leave the house, I hope you didn’t think we wanted you gone?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bless Harry Potter, she knew that he was sensitive to making anyone feel unwelcome in his home after his years with the Durlseys and he wouldn’t be able to cope with the thought that he’d pushed someone out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, I have absolutely loved living with you but if you and Ginny forgot one more silencing charm I was-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was stopped abruptly by Ron loudly slapping his hands over his ears as he glared at her and hummed obnoxiously over them. He may have accepted his best mate and his sister being together but unsurprisingly, he still wasn’t keen on the details. Hermione pulled one of his hands down and handed him the bottle of Ogdens, which seemed to brighten his mood considerably. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pulling herself up onto a stool and leaning an elbow on the counter, Hermione smiled at Harry and gestured around with her other arm, “what do you think?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>The flat was remarkably smaller than Grimmauld Place but she’d loved it from the moment she stepped inside. It was open-plan with light colours throughout and, most importantly, it felt like it could really be</span> <span>home. </span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whilst Ron was finally doing what made him happy and Harry was starting his life with Ginny, Hermione still hadn’t found what it was she </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Dates never seemed to spark anything and despite her success at work, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t where she should be. She was hoping that getting out of the routine she’d fallen into at Grimmauld Place might be a start at the very least. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The flat was based in a fairly mixed Magical and Muggle area of London near Farringdon and whilst the flat itself was beautiful, the cincher had been the secluded roof terrace accessible through her spare room. Evenings spent up there with her nose in a book and a mug of mulled wine, perhaps a warming charm until the temperature had less of a bite, sounded like the perfect way to wind down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ginny hopped onto the stool next to her, linked her arm and rested her head on Hermione’s shoulder. “It’s lovely but honestly, it won’t be your flat until I’ve spilled at least one drink tripping over a pile of books.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that, Ron appeared on the other side of the counter, placing down 4 glasses of firewhisky with a dangerous grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everyone ready for a Monday hangover?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione groaned as Harry and Ginny raised their glasses to drink to her, the first of many that evening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>--------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a horribly loud ringing coming from a box in the corner of her room, wrenching Hermione from sleep. By the sounds of things it was also vibrating obnoxiously as well, clearly with absolutely no notion of the way her brain was spinning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Groaning as she pulled herself far enough over the side of her bed to rummage in her handbag for her wand, Ron burst into the room, his wand held out in readiness. He was sporting one sock, Chudley Cannons boxers and a much more crumpled version of the shirt that he’d been wearing yesterday from crashing on her sofa. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hermione!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron it’s fine! I’m sorry, it’s just- Oh, where is it...” she yelled over the noise, which was sounding increasingly irate. Finally finding her wand, she whipped it round and pointed it at the offending box.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Accio alarm!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A small bedside clock flew out of the closest box and landed in her outstretched hand. Hungover and too unco-ordinated to turn it off, she flipped it over, wrenched open the panel on the back and shook out the batteries, sighing with relief as the noise abruptly died.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Christ ‘Mione, you couldn’t have used your enormous brain to remember to turn that thing off?” Ron yawned at her, one hand running through his hair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As much as I really wish I had, I’ve got meetings all morning and I need to be presentable,” she mumbled through the arm that she’d flung over her face and slumped back into her pillows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Feeling the bed dip, Hermione lowered her arm to see Ron perched on the edge, a smug smile pulling at his lips as he reached out to pat her leg over the duvet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There, there,” he said warmly before beginning to stretch, “I’ll be thinking of you whilst I get to lounge around on my day off and eat toast in my pyjamas.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She frowned and used her foot to push him firmly off her bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Git.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Half an hour later, Hermione had showered, dressed and felt remarkably fresher than she had on waking up. The smell of coffee was wafting pleasantly down her hallway as she entered the lounge, pulling her hair into a high and messy bun. She could hear the bubbling from the stove top espresso maker and sounds of what she assumed came from Ron trying to remember where they had put her mugs before they started on the firewhisky. She shuddered at the thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Ron, but you didn’t have to stay,” she called to him as she took a seat at the counter and began tidying her notes on the first few meetings that she had that day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron shrugged and placed a mug of black coffee in front of her. “S’no problem, but you’ve not got any milk yet so you’ll have to choke this down. There’s a smidge of pepper-up in there as well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As much as I appreciate your new found domestic charms...Out with it, why are you still here?” Hermione asked as she eyed him suspiciously, picking up her mug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron’s hand shot to his chest in mock offense. “You wound me! Can’t I just want to support my best friend with...with her,” he began to trail off as he clearly had no idea what meetings she had today or whether they were of any importance. The tips of his ears went pink as he cleared his throat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“George has a new girlfriend…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>of course it was about a woman</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Right, do you not like her?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I wouldn’t say that,” Ron shifted and looked pointedly down at his own mug, “technically George hasn’t even introduced us yet, but-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve already slept with her, haven’t you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His face flushed and he winced as he replied, “only in the literal sense.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ronald!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was 2 years ago, ‘Mione! I’m not even certain it’s her, but her name isn’t exactly common and from what he’s said so far, he really likes her and I just don’t want to fuck it up for him,” he poured out, words running together as he made his excuses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gave Ron a gentle smile, got up to walk around the counter and into her kitchen towards him. Hermione patted his arm understandingly and abruptly clapped him around the back of the head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go talk to George,” she instructed before turning away to pick up her coffee.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I haven’t even had breakfast yet!” Ron protested, clearly hoping to use her flat to hide from George for as long as possible. Suddenly Ron’s insistence that she get a flat with a spare bedroom felt like it may not have been as selflessly suggested as originally thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Retaking her seat and learning forward with her elbows on the counter, Hermione rubbed her forehead with her fingers, trying to fend off the headache that she’d only just gotten rid of as she carefully considered how to crowbar Ronald Weasley out of her kitchen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ron, just talk to him. He’s hardly a prude and if you tell him now I’m sure he won’t even think of it,” she paused and eyed him warily, “you didn’t do anything awful to this poor woman did you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He blanched, “oh god, no! No! It was just when I went to watch Gin play that away game in France, there was a lot of drinking and it was nothing really. Honestly, I don’t even know if she knew who I was.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione rolled her eyes, silently suspecting that Ron hardly remembered much of his encounter with the woman other than her name.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then bugger off Ron, I have to go to work and you can’t hole up in my flat all day. You work with your brother, just talk to him, you know he’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron dragged a hand down his face, downed the rest of his coffee and put the mug in the sink. “Fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He walked into the lounge and was forcing his feet into his shoes when Hermione snorted into her coffee with a laugh, there was no way that George wasn’t going to take the ever-living piss out of Ron for this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron’s voice came cautiously from lacing his shoes on the sofa, “...what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s going to think this is hilarious, you know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ron groaned, “I know. I’ll never hear the end of it, he’ll be insufferable.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, he smiled grimly at her and disappeared into the floo with a flash, leaving her alone in her flat for the first time. She breathed deeply and looked around, suddenly very aware that this was different to when everyone was just out of the house at Grimmauld Place. She lived here. Alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Feeling a pang in her chest, she shrugged it off and decided to take her coffee to the roof. Reading her notes in the morning sun above the bustle of rush hour London felt like the perfect way to steel her nerves for the day.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Indignation & Invitations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to those that gave my first chapter a go! I hope that you enjoy this update.</p><p>Huge thanks yet again to Xaephyr, who is swiftly becoming my unwitting beta.<br/> </p><p>I initially planned on once a week posting but to be entirely truthful, we found out we've been successful in applying to adopt a rescue dog and my entire life has revolved around dog research this past week. </p><p>But I'm back! You can only look at so many dog harnesses on amazon.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Flooing into the Ministry, a top up of Ron’s coffee and Pepper-Up in her takeaway flask, Hermione felt better than she’d expected given the amount that they’d drunk last night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She found herself mentally recounting last night’s antics as she walked towards the lifts, specifically Ginny’s unnervingly accurate portrayal of Professor McGonagall (</span>
  <em>
    <span>“that’ll be 10 points from Gryffindor, Potter. I expect a better performance from my house!”)  </span>
  </em>
  <span>as Harry sloshed tequila everywhere trying to make margaritas. It was only when an amused voice rang through from behind her that she realised she must have been grinning to herself like an idiot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone is in a disgustingly good mood for a Monday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eyes automatically rolling as she recognised the voice, she turned to greet the sharply dressed Slytherin, “good morning, Theo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Granger.” He nodded his head with a cheshire grin and held out his arm to allow her to enter the lift first. A few seconds ticked by, the doors closing and the lift lurching into motion before he nudged her arm gently with his elbow, grin still in place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, do share. What has put the Golden Girl in such fine spirits before 9am?” he asked, a slight tease to his tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione knew Theo well enough, having worked with him briefly a few years ago when he’d taken on a contract for the Ministry and specialised in what she could only conclude to be ‘finding the hard-to-find’. He somehow knew everything about everyone and would have contacts or information on anything you could throw at him, from ancient wizarding artifacts to what was </span>
  <em>
    <span>apparently</span>
  </em>
  <span> an authentic Banksy now hanging in the office of one of the department heads. For this reason alone, no matter how charming he may appear, Hermione had never quite trusted him or, more specifically, his methods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing that would register on your radar as interesting, I’m sure,” she responded and took a sip from her coffee before throwing him a coy smile. His eyebrows raised in curiosity but before he could press her further, the lift lurched to a stop and Hermione stepped out onto Level 4, starting towards her office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen Theo in the Ministry for a good few months. He’d been at galas and benefits, usually throwing money at causes that would make his father turn in his grave, but he seemed to avoid the ministry if he could help it. His large donations to some of Hermione’s own projects had been hugely beneficial but unlike most donors, he generally preferred not to be involved any further. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Probably too much like actual work</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought to herself before pushing Theo out of her mind and sighing at the pile of memos already flying themselves into her in-tray.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>----------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione's morning was spent on the 2nd annual review of the House Elf Liberation Programme. She was very pleased to say that it had gone smoother than even she could have anticipated. Granted, this was largely due to the majority of families that would have opposed HELP (</span>
  <em>
    <span>credit to Ginny for allowing Hermione to bombard her with acronyms to avoid another SPEW debacle)</span>
  </em>
  <span> being on “best behaviour” or now headed by the younger and more open-minded generation, but she was still pleased that the magical community was making progress. Equality and co-operation between elves and wizards was better than it had ever historically been and she was proud to have been a driving force behind it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Morning meetings over, Hermione found herself walking back to her office around midday. As she opened her door,  she was overtaken by a small paper aeroplane which unfolded itself on her desk as she sat down, revealing a messy scrawl that she recognised as Harry’s.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Swung by earlier but you were still in meetings - hope you don’t mind that I nabbed the last of your Pepper-Up but we were out this morning and I think several Hippogriffs were rehearsing for STOMP on my face.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What time are you finishing today?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Harry x</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Godric love Harry Potter but the man really should look into a little more preparation. Hermione still stocked her office with Pepper-up and other useful everyday potions that were almost exclusively for Harry to steal. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually remembered to replace his own bruise paste and other members of his Auror team had started to occasionally stop by her office hoping to pillage her stores.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grabbed her quill and sent off a quick reply, informing him that her last meeting wrapped up at 4:30pm, so could he please not drop by until 5. She needed to get this afternoon over with before she could properly relax, these presentations never failed to make her feel unprepared regardless of how much time she’d spent fastidiously putting them together. Checking her watch, she decided to give her work another once over, she had time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few hours later, Hermione was rereading her proposal for the final time and halfway through a fairly unsatisfying pasta salad when a sudden knock came at the door, startling her just enough to kick the shoe that she’d been absently bouncing on her foot across her office.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bugger.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a second!” she called as she hobbled over to her shoe. She was still stepping into it when the door opened and Theo’s face poked in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry to interrupt, do you have a minute?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded and gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do, but I have a meeting in 20 that I really can’t be late for," she trailed off and glared at the thick stack of parchment that was her proposal and back to Theo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, I think that’s what I’m here to talk to you about," he replied with a slight grimace as he took the seat she'd offered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione returned to her desk and plastered what she hoped to be an unaffected look on her face. Mentally preparing herself to be calm when she was cancelled on. Yet again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” She was pleased at how even and unexpecting she sounded. Ron’s comments that she needed to work on her temper were obviously unfounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He can’t make it in Granger, I’m sorry, I know it’s inconvenie-” Theo started, before being promptly cut off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inconvenient!? It’s also extremely unprofessional!" she snapped, any attempt at cool and collected evidently flying out of the window, "he’s sending in his best mate because he doesn’t want to meet with me? It’s work, Theo! I’m not asking him to take me to the bloody Yule Ball!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She whipped her curls off of her neck and up into a high bun, stuffing her wand through it to keep it in place. Crossing her arms and glaring at him as he sat there, she waited for him to begin making excuses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Theo sighed, remaining seated he crossed a leg over his knee and shook his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not that, Granger, he’s not been in the office since Wednesday but said he’d make it today. He didn’t say what came up.” Theo tilted his head, appearing to think for a moment before adding, “though I suppose he doesn’t need to when he's the boss.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slipping a hand inside his jacket, he pulled out a scroll and held it out for her to take.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “So you actually work for him now, this isn’t just a social favour?” she asked, unfurling the parchment on her desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he nodded, she looked down to read the short missive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nott,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not going to make the 3pm with Granger. She’ll be furious so could you do whatever it is that you do and fix it?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Take the no doubt </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>excessively long</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> extensive proposal she’s put together and I’ll read it this week.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>DM</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She huffed, trying to mask a flush of embarrassment, and picked up the fairly weighty proposal before thrusting it at Theo. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Excessively long, indeed</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Theo accepted the parchment, nodding his head in thanks and standing to leave without ado, Hermione sat back in her chair and cleared her throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He frowned and shifted the proposal onto one arm, eyes watching her carefully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it that you do? To fix things?” she asked, pleased that her voice was light again, conversational even.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Theo regained his smirk and she briefly considered, not for the first time, if they were all taught it their first night in the Slytherin common room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Generally it’s flirting with reckless abandon or I throw money at the problem until it goes away. But since I started working for Malfoy right before Christmas, my job is basically to keep his clients happy,” he paused for a second and gave a small shrug, “I guess much the same as before then, really.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione gave a quiet laugh before she could stop herself and crossed her arms, leaning forward on her desk, not quite ready to let Nott, and by extension Malfoy, off the hook just yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, as a client, what would keep me happy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Theo’s eyebrows flew up and he looked down at the proposal in his arms, she could practically hear the cogs turning in his brain. She wasn’t one to easily back down on negotiations and she suspected that he was only too aware of that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m assuming you want us to stop supplying the private apothecaries in Europe with Aconite in favour of negotiating a low but exclusive rate with the European Governments…" he trailed off, quiet in thought for a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Granger, that’d be a significant drop in revenue for the local businesses and they may retaliate by contracting with other suppliers," he waited, as if to see whether she would correct him. When she didn’t, he added “you know I can’t approve this without his say so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know the subject of the proposal, you haven’t read it,” she asked, ignoring his comment about the revenue concerns that she was already painfully aware of. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s what I do… I know things,” he grinned and sat back down without invitation, “but if you want this approved, you’ll need to focus not on what makes you, but rather what makes our investors </span>
  <em>
    <span>tick</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You need to give them a reason to want to take this risk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And how do you know that I haven’t?” she asked with a raised eyebrow but despite herself, she still reached for her quill. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on Granger, you’re the bleeding heart of the Golden Trio. You’ll have focused on what people </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> be driven by… not necessarily what they are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Damn, he’s got a point.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Over the next few hours, Theo gave Hermione invaluable insight into the minds of the elite investors in British Wizarding society and how to spin it to her advantage. They’d redrafted several elements of the proposal to focus heavily on the positive press that this would give the company and its investors, rather than the short-term financial impact that could be felt from their affected buyers. She was even pleasantly surprised by his easy company and how openly useful he was being. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sat on the floor of her office with redrafts of her proposal scattered around them, Hermione gave a small jump as Harry poked his head around her door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh! Sorry Hermione, I didn’t realise you still had your-” he grinned and then caught sight of Theo, “...</span>
  <em>
    <span>meeting</span>
  </em>
  <span> going on. I just wanted to see if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight? Hey Nott."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Potter.” Theo nodded before taking a deep breath and turning to Hermione, “Granger, I should actually get going anyway and I think that you’ve got everything you need. I’ll tell him you refused to give me the proposal,” he gestured around at the papers that were strewn across her office, “work in what you need from today and </span>
  <em>
    <span>do not</span>
  </em>
  <span> mention this afternoon, he’ll only get snarky if he finds out I was involved.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He raised his eyebrows, waiting until she nodded her head in understanding before standing and brushing off his immaculately pressed trousers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No doubt I’ll see you soon then,” he said, a genuine smile on his face as he offered out a hand to shake hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slipped out of her office with a brief acknowledgement towards Harry, who still stood in her doorway. As the sound of Theo's footsteps faded down the hall, Harry's eyes slid back to hers and a teasing grin started to spread across his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t even think about it Harry, you’re worse than Ginny,” she said with no small amount of anguish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Think what? I didn’t say a word!” Harry retorted, his hands raised in innocence but the grin still plastered across his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Subtle as a bloody baseball bat</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Hermione thought. She’d endured several of Harry and Ginny’s attempts at playing cupid over the years and she had absolutely no intention of entertaining him in whatever schemes were currently running through his head. She rolled her eyes and with a swish and flick, her papers levitated themselves neatly into a pile which she grabbed from the air and slid into her case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe you mentioned dinner, Harry? That is, before you started mentally marrying me off to old classmates?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To Molly’s continued exasperation, Ginny had never quite mastered her mother’s skills in the kitchen, though it certainly was not for lack of trying. Usually she or Harry would cook for the house, but during the Quidditch off-season, it was hard to stop her from culinary experimentation and today’s fusion meal of obscenely spicy chilli con carne lasagne was no exception.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sitting at the kitchen table in Grimmauld Place, Hermione was drowning her laughter in a glass of wine as she met Harry’s watering eyes over the rim of her glass, his face far redder than she’d ever seen it and his messy hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. Ginny, who’s mouth Hermione could only assume was made of asbestos, was chewing her way through her portion with a thoughtful expression on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I think I probably could’ve left out the kidney beans for a better texture,” Ginny mused aloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione snorted forcefully into her wine, nearly inhaling half the glass in her amusement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right Gin, it’s the kidney beans that are the problem here,” Harry managed to choke out, having swallowed the mouthful that had caused his face to match his fiance’s flaming hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the food, Hermione was grateful that Harry and Ginny had invited her over this evening. She’d hardly spent any time alone in her flat yet but the evening calmed the quiet worry in her mind that she would be left forgotten whilst her friends moved swiftly on with their lives. It was a silly thing to worry about, she knew that, but it was nice to feel at home with her friends all the same. Ron was apparently busy but she suspected that he’d known Ginny would be cooking and purposefully made his excuses so as to avoid a repeat of the accidental poisoning of 2002. To this day, she’d not seen Ron touch a prawn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mexican lasagne lay forgotten on the side as they munched through the chips and dip, conversation turning to plans for Ron’s birthday in a few weeks time. They’d run through their usual activities, none of which were particularly well suited to a cold March weekend due to their collective summer birthdays and had resorted to listing potential drinking locations that might be better suited to a birthday celebration than their usual Friday night in the pub. Unfortunately this was also quickly running out of options.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about somewhere muggle?” Ginny finally suggested, idly playing with one of the empty bottles of beer on the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gin, George’ll be there and you know he can’t do birthdays without making at least one prank. Last year he turned you blue for 2 whole days. I’m not sure getting us all arrested for breaking the Statute of Secrecy will end particularly well,” Harry countered, shooting a look at Hermione to back him up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the saviour of the Wizarding World Harry, I’m sure we could sort something out," Ginny said with a wave of her hand, as if dismissing his silly worries away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Several unsuccessful suggestions later, there came a flash from the parlour and Hermione leaned back on her chair to check who had just flooed in.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Seems like someone’s ears were burning, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought as she caught sight of Ron brushing soot off his jeans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron grinned as he caught her eye and made his way through the doorway, throwing on a look of mock disappointment as he looked at their plates piled on the side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no! You’ve already finished eating? What a shame," he said without an ounce of regret in his tone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione rolled her eyes while Ron walked past them to grab a beer out of the fridge, clearly ignoring the cold lasagne on the side. Popping off the cap with his wand before taking a long drink, he turned to face the table and leaned against the countertop. Suddenly he held out his beer and tilted it towards Hermione, as if pointing at her with the bottle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I need a date,” he declared.</span>
</p><p><span>This wasn’t anything new, with their collective fame, The Golden Trio had found themselves featured in trashy wizarding articles speculating about their personal lives since fourth year. A few years after the war, it seemed that they were all being mightily inconvenient by remaining largely without scandal. Harry and Ginny were still together (and disgustingly happy) and Hermione and Ron had stopped drawing attention by attending events together platonically for years. When nothing romantic had come of it after many, </span><em><span>many</span></em><span> articles, it was clear that any stories claiming they were seen together at</span> <span>yet another event were not even worth printing. It was the perfect solution and meant that they also never had to face reporters alone.</span></p><p>
  <span>But looking at Ron’s slightly awkward face, Hermione found herself curious as to what event she would be drinking her way through this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, what is it?” she frowned and waited for him to elaborate, casting a glance back at Harry and Ginny who were wearing equally confused expressions at his apprehension.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the opening of Seamus’ new Restaurant…” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, that doesn’t sound so bad, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought as Ron continued on, “it’s on Saturday and Rita Skeeter is doing the coverage.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny chimed in at this, beating Hermione to the punch, “Saturday is Valentines Day… odd choice for an opening night, surely?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Generally Valentines Day was a holiday Hermione didn’t acknowledge, it wasn’t that she’d had a lack of offers over the years, but with their tightly knit group, she’d never found someone that really </span>
  <em>
    <span>fit</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Not to mention that fluffy heart shaped pillows squeaking poorly written rhymes ad nauseum was not at all Hermione’s opinion of romance. Unfortunately, it was one of the muggle holidays that appeared to have seeped into the wizarding community with fervour and it was always an excuse for excessive speculation and gossip over who would be pairing off next. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betrothal agreements seemed to have lost their popularity after the war and so, as they entered their mid twenties, it appeared that all of Wizarding Britain was waiting with baited breath to see who would end up with who. It meant that this would likely be the wizarding equivalent of the red carpet, a lot of their old housemates were war heroes in their own right, especially members of Dumbledore’s Army. Everyone would be angling for an invitation and anyone without one would be out in the area anyway, just to be a part of the buzz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seamus wants it to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>interesting</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Ron explained and dropped into the chair beside her, “he's asked that anyone single attending has to also bring a single friend as their date. Apparently there’s gonna be some sort of extra mysterious, anonymous blind date aspect but he’s being very secretive about it…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron trailed off and Hermione groaned. In her experience, Masquerade balls were just excuses for people to act like prats because they assumed that they could get away with it. She wasn’t convinced that combining this with Valentine's Day and heavy drinking would end well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you’re close to Seamus, but really? Masks hide no identities with my bloody hair," she pointed out, "or yours, for that matter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head and shrugged, “apparently no masks, there’s opening drinks for everyone invited and then some mysterious event which only the singletons among us are allowed to attend if we’ve brought our not-dates.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione’s brows furrowed and she looked to Ginny who was looking murderous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re telling me that </span>
  <em>
    <span>Finnegan</span>
  </em>
  <span> is going to kick me and Harry-freakin’-Potter out of the most intriguing event of the last year because we’re not single?!” she snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ginny’s hatred for missing out was rather legendary, years of being excluded for being “too young” or “a girl” by her brothers had left quite the chip on her shoulder and Hermione was glad in that moment that she was not going to be on the receiving end of Ginny’s wrath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A loud screech echoed around the room as Ginny scraped her chair back and stood suddenly, storming out of the kitchen and taking her beer with her to the floo in the parlour across the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione turned her gaze to Harry and raised her eyebrows. “Have fun with that later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded and drained the last of his beer, evidently resigned to dealing with a likely very indignant Ginny Weasley when she got back from telling Seamus exactly where he could shove his grand opening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------------------------------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shortly after Ginny’s departure, Hermione had also left Grimmauld Place, promising Ron that she’d go if he needed her to. She was curled up on her sofa with a book, exactly how she liked to end her evenings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her stomach grumbled a little, as if to remind her that all she’d really eaten was guacamole and tortilla chips, which weren’t nearly enough after she left most of her lunch that afternoon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She placed her book on the arm of the sofa, upturned at her current place to mark her page and padded a little sleepily into the kitchen. She put 2 crumpets down in the toaster and got the marmite out of the cupboard while she waited for them to pop up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eyes falling on the work files that she had placed on the counter when she’d got in, she found herself flicking through the notes that she had made with Theo that afternoon. After all these years, despite her reverence in battling the still ever-prevalent prejudice in wizarding society, perhaps she too was guilty of treating the former Slytherin with apprehension and more than a touch of suspicion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Theo had been helpful without condescension and seemed to genuinely want her Wolfsbane proposal to succeed without, from what she could see, any particular self motivation. Her toaster popped up and she popped it back down again automatically to crisp the crumpets a little more, humming in further thought as she reviewed a page of financials whilst she waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as she reached for the butter, Hermione heard a tapping at her window. Walking around the breakfast counter she could see Harry’s large tawny owl, perched and ruffling its feathers in the February drizzle outside. She opened the window with a quick flick of her wand and the owl hopped inside gratefully, swooping to land on the back of one of the high stools and holding out its leg patiently for Hermione to retrieve the scroll attached.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Realising she had forgotten to buy her own owl treats, she tore off a piece of crumpet and offered it to Win with her apologies. The owl took it gratefully and nipped her finger gently before stretching her wings and gracefully taking off again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seems that they weren’t expecting a reply, Hermione mused to herself as she unrolled the scroll to see Ginny’s familiar script.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Brightest Witch of her Age,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You are bloody going and I want to hear every single detail afterwards, do you understand?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Much love,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Chosen One’s Chosen One</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>PS. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Wear the perfume I bought you for Christmas.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hermione grinned to herself and finished spreading marmite on her crumpets, wondering curiously what Ginny had managed to squeeze out of Seamus that had her so intrigued. She had 5 days to badger Ginny into giving up her secrets and there was no way that she was going into Saturday blind.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading!</p><p>I welcome and thrive on your comments and kudos.</p><p>You can find me on tumblr under <a href="https://hogwartstrolleydolly.tumblr.com/">Hogwarts Trolley Dolly</a></p><p>Prexy xx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Pubs and Pixies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading and extra thanks to Xaephyr for his attempts to corral my hot mess into something I can share with you all. </p>
<p>Happy Sunday!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The week seemed to have passed by in a flash and before Hermione knew it, it was gone 3pm on Friday afternoon and she had hardly stopped to breathe. There had been a </span>
  <em>
    <span>small</span>
  </em>
  <span> incident with her department and Underage Magic when a muggleborn boy had accidentally transfigured his baby cousin into a Cornish Pixie in front of his entire family and most of their small town. Truth be told, Hermione was extremely impressed with the 9-year-old’s display of magic, but apparently it had put a slight dampener on the Christening. Once it had become clear that no actual Cornish Pixies were involved, the rest of her department had stepped away from the issue but as a muggleborn herself, she had chosen to remain on the case to help explain to the boy’s parents.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Despite the stress and numerous meetings with the family, Hermione was relieved that this meant that she had successfully survived her first working week in her new flat without any lonely evenings to make her miss Grimmauld Place. The boxes had been fully unpacked and books organised by subject and then author, exactly as she liked them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ron had even stopped by midweek to bring some delicious home cooking from Molly Weasley and they’d taken the opportunity to brainstorm their theories on Seamus’ plans for Saturday over a bottle of wine. Hermione’s wine, obviously. Ron’s taste in wine historically meant that they’d have ended up with the cheapest bottle of plonk that would’ve made her head spin far more than she could handle twice in one week.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“What about a blind date auction?” Ron had suggested, popping a bite of potato into his mouth.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Urgh, I hope not. What if I got bought by McClaggen? I’m not sure I could survive another night as his date.” Hermione wrinkled her nose and topped up her glass whilst theorising. “What about some kind of polyjuice party?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not a bad shout ‘Mione,” Ron mumbled through his mouthful of potato, brows furrowed in thought.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Seamus really gave you no clues?” She pursed her lips as he shook his head. “What about Ginny? Have you gotten anything out of her? She’s been weirdly secretive about it to me.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It seemed that Ginny had decided she was having far too much fun being the only person with any idea of what they were letting themselves in for. She’d been smug and vague all week, simply stating that they both absolutely had to go. Hermione was at least grateful that she would have Ron there as back up should she need him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh!” Hermione swatted Ron’s arm as he went to nab the remaining bit of sausage from her plate. “What happened with George and the Girlfriend? I completely forgot to ask!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She hadn’t. She just knew that since Ron hadn’t said anything, he’d been particularly embarrassed by the outcome. Whilst Harry was the obvious choice for these kinds of conversations, he was also engaged to Ron’s baby sister and if there was something for Ron to be embarrassed over, he’d never want Ginny to get the faintest whiff of it. Unfortunately for Ron, she could sniff gossip on Harry like gold to a niffler, so they'd be doing this chat alone. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh that,” Ron’s voice was flat and a little awkward as he pushed his peas around the plate, “turns out I shouldn’t have worried.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“What does that mean? Was it not her?” Hermione asked gently.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No, it was her,” Ron replied, taking a breath before he pushed his plate away and looked up, “so it turns out she’d known exactly who I was, but the only reason I woke up naked in her bed is because she’d been concerned at how drunk I was…” Ron trailed off and groaned, his head falling into his hands, “apparently I’d stripped off the second we got to her flat and then immediately passed out on her sofa.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione was trying and failing to stifle her laughs as she listened to Ron, this was typical of him a few years ago when he’d first discovered muggle liquor. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“But you said you woke up in her bed, what-” Hermione was cut off as Ron lifted his head from his hands to scowl at her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“She had to LEVITATE me into bed and she’d stayed on the sofa, apparently her mum was arriving the next day and she didn’t want my bare arse greeting her.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione howled at that, laughing until Ron flicked a carrot into her face, gravy splattering across her cheek. He managed to crack a smile at that and they giggled between themselves until the wine was gone, still with no clearer vision of what awaited them on Saturday.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mind returning to the stack of paperwork on her desk, Hermione sighed and started to work her way through the memos that she’d not had a spare minute to address that week. As expected, she had a stream of requests from the same old journalists, no doubt trying to secure an opportunity to scrounge gossip about the coming weekend. A soft pink parchment with Parvati’s overly sweet suggestion that they get tea was met with the same resolute declination as the rest. She and Parvati got on well enough at social events, but Hermione knew a work meeting when she saw it and ever since her promotion at Witch Weekly, Parvati had upped the frequency of her owls threefold to Grimmauld Place.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A little later, as Hermione finished tidying her desk of paperwork, a memo flew through the open door and hovered patiently above the desk. Plucking it out of the air and recognising the scrawl as Harry’s, she dropped into her chair to read.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hermione</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Pub tonight - the usual?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ron’s managed to convince Seamus to come, we’ll be there from 4 - it’s a Friday, if I can sneak off early, so can you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Harry x</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>PS. Ron said if you’re more than half an hour late he'll crack out the Basilisk fang.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>PPS. Did you know he still had one!?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione grinned to herself and looked to her in-tray. There were a few more reports she had planned to get done before leaving today, but truth be told even with the work this week, she was ahead on her usual projects and her floor in the Ministry was already dead. She’d probably see them all in the same bloody pub.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was no use denying them and running late for the sake of staying until 5pm, Ron would only ensure that she had to make it up to them when she finally arrived. Having accepted that she may as well wrap up for the day, Hermione wandered down the hall to ministry lavatories and spent a few minutes fixing the rebellious curls that tended to have a mind of their own by lunchtime, today being no exception. She finished with a quick swipe of the tinted lip balm that she kept in her bag, feeling remarkably fresher and ready for a few drinks with friends. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>On the way out, she paused briefly at her reflection in the full length mirror by the door and found herself frowning at her shoes. Hermione had always tended towards the practical rather than the fashionable and today’s outfit was no great deviation. On a whim she twirled her wand and her heels rose a few inches, instantly improving her posture and causing her lips to tweak into a smile. What better time to let your hair down than around friends on a Friday night? Another flick of her wand and her curls fell around her shoulders. Self consciously, she ran her fingers through her hair before shaking her head, it was just Friday at the pub and she refused to stand there scrutinising herself over it. Without a second glance, she pulled the door open and strode back towards her office, her magically enhanced heels clicking down the corridor. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As expected, it seemed everyone had already left for the day and the floor was silent. Hermione proceeded straight into her office and came to a stop in front of her desk to collect her things. As she reached over to pull Seamus’ invitation out from under a paper weight, a voice came from the sofa behind her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You wouldn’t be sneaking out early on a Friday would you, Granger?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Exhaling slowly, she turned to lean against her desk and address the only person that would dare let themselves into </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>office without an appointment, take a seat on</span>
  <em>
    <span> her</span>
  </em>
  <span> sofa and then have the nerve to accuse her of taking liberties.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Afternoon, Malfoy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He smirked, evidently pleased to have irritated her, crossed his left ankle over his knee and gave her a once over. His eyes lingered on her shoes and she was instantly glad of her decision to alter them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t fret, I won’t keep you from your date,” he said with a raised eyebrow and continued before she could open her mouth to contradict him, “I just was under the impression that I would have received your proposal this week and since I was already in the building, I thought I’d save some poor owl the heavy load.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She blinked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The proposal. Oh Merlin.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The one sitting on her kitchen breakfast table, impeccably revised with Theo’s notes. The one that she’d completely forgotten about since she’d hardly spent any time in her own office this week due to the work that she’d been doing with the underage muggleborn boy. That proposal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Malfoy’s grin widened as he watched her fill with panic. She couldn’t even remember the last time that she had been late to turn anything in. Unless you counted the weeks that she’d spent petrified in second year, which she most certainly didn’t, she’d not missed a single parchment of homework at Hogwarts, let alone anything in her working career.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Malfoy, I - I honestly don’t know what came over me,” Hermione stumbled over her words, cheeks aflame, “this is not at all like me. I have it! It’s sitting on my counter at home…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She took a rushed step towards the fireplace in her office before Malfoy stood and waved his hand dismissively. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Don’t worry about it Granger, no need to make up excuses,” he said as he stood and began idly picking at an invisible bit of lint on his sleeve. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuses!?” she snapped and whirled to face him, hair whipping around her, “I had it ready on Monday but, yet again, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> couldn’t be bothered to turn up!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She pointed at the fireplace and continued with determination, “it’s just on my counter, it won’t take more than a minute.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With that, she stepped into the floo, called out for her flat and strode into her lounge towards the breakfast bar, muttering to herself about annoying ferrets.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As she collected the report, quickly unsticking a note covered in Theo’s handwriting from the front, she turned and found Draco-bloody-Malfoy standing in front of her coffee table.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing here? I was coming back!” she exclaimed, her voice higher than she would like.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at her with what appeared to be genuine surprise at his own actions and gave a gentle shrug, shifting his weight awkwardly as he stepped back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t specify, I was curious about...” he trailed off and gestured nondescriptly at her lounge but fell silent, as if it had only just occurred to him that following Hermione to her flat wasn’t one of his more stellar ideas. He looked uncomfortable but not in the way she would suspect - he didn’t look disgusted, just unprepared.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A beat passed before she rolled her eyes and walked towards him, offering up the proposal with a short “here”.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As he accepted the folder, his eyes scanned over her lounge, not even taking a moment to look at the document in his hands. He seemed to be about to take a step towards the first of her bookcases when Hermione cleared her throat to bring back his attention.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Interested in the latest muggle best sellers?” she commented with an air of derision, arms crossing over her chest as she eyed him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was bemused to see how obviously curious he was, his usual air of superiority gone and replaced by quiet intrigue as he awkwardly looked around her living room. The silence stretched between them until eventually his eyes met hers and his expression hardened, back visibly straightened. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, I’ll review and contact you next week. May I?” He gestured stiffly towards her floo and as she nodded he disappeared into a flash of green, leaving her standing slightly dumbstruck by her coffee table. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>---------------</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione apparated outside of the pub at 4:25pm and hurried inside, very aware that she had 5 minutes until Ron would start chanting for shots. The buzz and warmth was a welcome change to the February chill outside, the noise overwhelming her senses as she whipped the bobble hat off of her head and began to weave through the crowd.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Several steps in, she spotted the group of Gryffindors bundled around a table towards the back of the room, laughing loudly as Seamus gesticulated wildly mid-story. Ginny spotted her first and elbowed Harry to let him know of her arrival as she waved Hermione over with her other hand. Harry greeted her warmly and offered his seat by Ginny before announcing his round, counting off drinks on his fingers as he picked his way towards the bar.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So what have I missed?” Hermione asked Ginny over the din, dropping into the chair.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before Ginny could answer, Ron leaned in and cut across her loudly, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> have missed making this Happy Hour by 3 whole bloody minutes you spoil sport.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ginny flicked a beer mat at him and scooted closer to Hermione, lowering her voice, “Ron has been here since lunchtime with Seamus, they’re both absolutely smashed. Fair warning.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At that, Seamus hiccoughed loudly and several bubbles floated out of his mouth, flashing gently in various shades of pink and red. Ron snorted and grabbed Hermione’s arm to make sure she was watching as he burst the pink one closest to them with a soft ‘pop’. The air suddenly filled with a soft rosey haze that smelled faintly of strawberries.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whaddyathink?” he slurred at her, wafting the haze towards her so clumsily that she had to swerve to avoid being hit in the eye.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She had to concede that the charm was very well done, she could see Luna blowing a pink bubble at Neville and delighting as it burst on his nose, his cheeks matching the blush cloud around them. Finding Ron still staring at her expectantly, she grinned and popped a red bubble floating near them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re fantastic Ron, when do they reach the shelves?” she asked and gave the reddish haze a sniff. Cherries. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Pride straightened Ron’s posture and he gestured her closer, as if sharing a secret that she was fairly certain he’d already shared with the rest of the table.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They hit shelves next week,” Ron replied, his grin wide as he continued with a slight slur and occasional hiccough to tell her of all the bars in Diagon Alley that had already ordered them for valentines day. As if aware that Hermione was trapped in a discussion that she could hardly follow, Ginny gave her a nudge and held out a glass of red wine from the tray levitating by Harry's side. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Interrupted by the arrival of beer, Ron took a pint and clinked their glasses with slightly too much force, causing beer to slosh onto the floor. Hermione caught Harry’s eye and grinned, raising her wine in silent cheers. Not even 5pm and she was already going to have to play catch up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Within the next hour, the pub had grown even louder with the after work rush. Other Ministry workers as well as staff from the various shops in Diagon Alley seemed to all be descending on the pub. Their group had grown until they no longer fit around their table by the fire and had spilled out onto surrounding high tables with people chatting happily in their own conversations. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ron had started doing shots with Harry 10 minutes ago and Hermione knew that she'd be dragged to join them the second he spotted that she'd returned from the toilet. She was hovering by the bar, sipping at a water and generally delaying that first taste of tequila, which would undoubtedly be followed by a second. And then a third. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She could see Ginny laugh as Harry pulled a face, instantly confirming her fear that Ron probably hadn’t gone for the good stuff. The water in her glass refilled itself as a glimpse of movement behind her shoulder caught Hermione’s attention and she turned to find Theodore Nott leaning nonchalantly against the bar. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Granger," he greeted her with a nod and an amused smile. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Theo," she returned his nod and raised an eyebrow at his grin, "I wouldn't expect to find you here of all places on a Friday night."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh? And where would you expect? Some stuck up, pompous and deafeningly silent cigar room?" he retorted, the corner of his mouth lifted into a playful smirk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Slightly chastised, her cheeks flushed to betray that yes, that was exactly what she'd expected. As Hermione opened her mouth to form some sort of rebuttal, an arm suddenly flung itself over Theo’s shoulder and Seamus appeared at their side, his cheeks rosey and a little glassy eyed from the warm pub and one too many spirits. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Nott!" Seamus practically cheered his name, "you came!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione’s brows furrowed as she tried to catch Theo’s eye in question, but he was too busy being coerced into joining the group still huddled around their original table by the fire. She quickly took another gulp of her water before following them over and retaking her seat as Seamus announced Theo’s arrival to the group of ex-Gryffindors. The distraction was enough to distract Ron away from the Tequila and Hermione took the opportunity to pop a crisp in her mouth from the packets split open across the table. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So, Finnegan," Theo began, leaning forward with an air of business, "ready for the big opening tomorrow?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Seamus grinned and nodded over enthusiastically, his finesse lost about 4 pints prior.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It's all in hand!" Seamus hiccoughed again and waved his hand impatiently to burst the bubbles that floated from his mouth before pointing an accusing finger at Theo. "You're coming right? You're my infestor - no - investor, you said you'd be there."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione couldn’t help but feel a little surprised that Theo was able to continue with these kinds of personal investments whilst working with a boss like Malfoy. She’d expected him to be more demanding of his staff. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As Seamus, Theo and Ron descended into talk of property prices in Diagon, Hermione redirected her attention back to Ginny, who greeted her with a dangerous look. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Harry told me you'd become chummy with Nott Junior," Ginny said evenly as she reached across the table for her drink. Harry, who was doing an incredibly poor job at eavesdropping for an Auror, seemed to suddenly find himself required elsewhere and quickly excused himself to join some junior Aurors a few tables over who look slightly alarmed to find Harry Potter, </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Boy Who Doesn't Know When To Shut His Fucking Mouth</span>
  </em>
  <span>, had joined them for a drink.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh for Godric's sake Gin, we're not chummy," she groaned, eyes rolling in exasperation. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Mhmm," Ginny replied with a suggestive raise of her eyebrows, "looked like he'd like to be chummy by the bar.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Gin, I worked with him recently, that's all." Hermione paused and glanced to confirm that everyone else was busy in their own conversations. "He's actually working for Malfoy now, he helped me reword some elements of my Wolfsbane proposal."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Almost as if he felt himself as the topic of conversation, Theo extracted himself from Seamus and shifted over to perch on the edge of the table, carefully avoiding the various debris from hours of bar snacks and too many drinks. Ginny, subtle as a bludger, promptly downed her glass and loudly proclaimed her need for another before immediately abandoning them. Merlin, she and Harry deserve each other.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eyebrows raised in evident confusion at the redhead's behaviour, Theo slipped into the vacated chair and looked back to Hermione.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I thought I said not to mention my involvement in your proposal?" he said as he eyed her calmly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Not mention it? She was pretty sure she remembered him saying that, but surely he only meant to Malfoy? Brain fuzzy, she struggled to recall his exact words in her office. Something about Malfoy being snarky.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Sorry? It's only Ginny - it's not like you're writing my homework," she said as she tried to read his face. Unfortunately, years of Slytherin practise and probably less wine to give him away rendered her none the wiser. "I won't be saying a word to Malfoy."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Good," he said, punctuating the word with a sip from a drink she didn't remember him getting, "because he's furious that you've covered every angle and left him very little to legitimately argue against."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione snorted in satisfaction, imagining Malfoy’s frustration as he read her proposal. She quickly glanced at the time and realised it was earlier than she thought, Malfoy had been standing awkwardly in her lounge mere hours ago and must’ve read her proposal as soon as he left. She was mildly surprised at his work ethic on a Friday afternoon.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"You must've seen him after work?" she asked, curious to hear more, "has he actually read it already?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Theo shook his head as he swirled his glass, grin spreading across his face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh no, he's skimmed through and was whining to me in a stuffy and pompous cigar bar about," he checked his watch dramatically, "oooh, 20 minutes ago."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With a smug smile, Hermione took a shot from the tray on the table and tapped it to Theo’s glass before downing it in one, scrunching up her face in distaste. Theo barked a laugh in surprise and reached into the bowl on the table to offer her a slice of lemon. She took it with a vigorous nod and bit down, citrus quelling the burn of the cheap tequila in her throat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So... Are you going tomorrow?" asked Theo, his expression open and curious. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh," Hermione shifted uncomfortably, dropping the lemon wedge into an empty glass as she realised that Theo probably knew exactly what awaited them at the opening. He wouldn’t be caught out like the rest of them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, I am. Ron and I will be going as each other’s 'not dates'," she said with air quotes and a roll of her eyes, her actions loosened from the alcohol.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I hope I see you there,” he said as he stood and indicated towards Seamus, “I should really say my goodbyes and get back to my grouchy boss. I just wanted to drop by before tomorrow. It was good to see you again, Granger.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You too, thanks for the help again, with… you know what,” she said as she felt her cheeks warm.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He tapped his nose and slipped away, no doubt to try and slip Finnegan a sobering draft. Someone really should. After Theo’s departure, Harry and Ginny miraculously seemed to remember her existence and reappeared at the table. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope they made you start from the troll in the bathroom,” she said, fully aware that it was the dream of almost every junior auror to hear of their Hogwarts adventures from Harry himself. Harry had gotten thoroughly bored of it years ago and stopped personally mentoring any new recruits. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They actually started from the boa constrictor,” Harry groaned as Ginny stroked his hair.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“From the zoo?” Hermione asked, almost feeling sorry for Harry as he nodded. Almost. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They even knew about Aunt Marge, Hermione!” Harry exclaimed, looking desperately between her and Ginny, “I swear it’s gotten worse since they stopped being kids I might’ve met at Hogwarts. I think Nick embellishes.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh he definitely does, that started before even I left,” Ginny said, continuing to stroke his hair as Harry groaned and dropped his head into his hands.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps that’ll teach you for trying to play matchmaker,” Hermione admonished, leaning over to poke them both in the side.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine!” Harry yelped, flinching away from her bony finger, his hands raised in defeat, “fine! But - and please don’t poke my stomach again - he seems interested.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re blind if you try to say he isn’t,” Ginny cut in, a solitary eyebrow raised at Hermione in a way any Slytherin would be proud of.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m saying that </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> not interested,” she said firmly, though a small voice in the back of her mind said that might not be true. She quickly decided to banish the voice and blame the tequila. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“OK,” Harry agreed and shot his fiance a look, “then we’ll drop it. Won’t we Gin?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh? Oh!” Ginny caught herself and nodded over enthusiastically. “Absolutely, of course we will.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione could see the twinkle in Ginny’s eye that meant she absolutely would not be dropping this anytime soon and Harry certainly held no power to stop her. Unable to change Ginny’s mind and with Theo absent for the remainder of the evening, she decided that this issue was Future Hermione’s problem, much like tomorrow morning’s hangover.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading!</p>
<p>I welcome and thrive on your comments and kudos.</p>
<p>You can find me on tumblr under <a href="https://hogwartstrolleydolly.tumblr.com/">Hogwarts Trolley Dolly</a></p>
<p>Prexy xx</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!</p><p>Please let me know your thoughts! </p><p>Prexy xx</p></blockquote></div></div>
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